


love in the time of call centres

by torigates



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-06 17:24:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5425490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torigates/pseuds/torigates
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You’re welcome,” Alex says. “Does that take care of your issues for today?”</p><p>“Sure does.”</p><p>“Then thanks for your call.”</p><p>“I love you too.”</p><p>Alex startles. There’s a pointed pause on the other end before the line goes dead. He laughs a little, shocked.</p>
            </blockquote>





	love in the time of call centres

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jediseagull](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jediseagull/gifts).



> Happy holidays, jediseagull! I hope you enjoy this!

“Welcome to MHC Technology Support Centre, my name is Alex, how may I help you today?”

The familiar words roll off Alex’s tongue with practiced ease. He supposes after saying the same thing seventy to eighty times a day for over three years would do that. Sometimes, Alex has dreams about work, has dreams about running through his systems and taking calls. Once, when he was leaving a message on his sister’s voicemail he started saying his greeting, conditioned to do so at the sound of a beep.

“Uh, hi,” the male voice on the other end says. “I’m having a technical issue?”

“Then you’re in the right place,” Alex says, keeping his voice friendly while he rolls his eyes. No shit, he’s having a technical issue. People call Alex all the time just to chat. “Can you describe the issue for me?”

The guy explains, in a rambly roundabout way (why do they always feel the need to tell Alex their life story? Just get to the point, short and sweet), that one of his computer’s systems won’t load properly.

“Okay,” Alex says when the guy stops speaking. “It sounds like you’re going to need to restart your computer.”

“I already tried that,” he says, sounding a little less upbeat and a little more frustrated. “Twice.”

Most of the issues Alex deals with can be solved by the caller simply restarting their units, but not all of them. Alex gets the caller’s information. His name is Brendan and he works in the accounting department for the company. He troubleshoots a few common issues, remoting into Brendan’s computer until he finds the root cause and corrects it.

“All right,” he says, wrapping up. “That should do it. Restart your computer again and you should be good to go.”

“Awesome,” Brendan says. “Thank you so much, that was driving me crazy.”

“You’re welcome,” Alex says. “Does that take care of your issues for today?”

“Sure does.”

“Then thanks for your call.”

“I love you too.”

Alex startles. There’s a pointed pause on the other end before the line goes dead. He laughs a little, shocked.

“What’s so funny?” Nail

“Some guy just told me ‘I love you too,’ when I thanked him for his call.”

Nail laughs. “That’s a new one.”

Alex has heard a lot of weird shit on the phone in the three years he has been in the call centre. People slip up, or stumble over their words, they can be belligerent and rude over the tiniest things, often they think their problem is completely unique when it’s something Alex sees ten times a day. He’s had people tell him they love him when he solves their problems, but it’s usually in a jokey, grateful kind of way.

Alex chuckles to himself for another moment before the next call comes through.

-

“How was your day?” Anna asks when he gets home from work that evening.

“It was fine,” Alex says, putting his lunch bag by the sink and collapsing into one of the kitchen chairs. “Someone told me they loved me today.” He pauses. “What’s for dinner?”

“Hold up, what?” Anna asks. “Someone told you they love you?”

Alex laughs to himself before explaining the story.

“You should find this guy,” Anna says. “Solve your chronically single problem.”

Alex scowls at her.

“I hope you don’t make that face at your customers,” Anna says, still laughing.

Alex does, but it’s not like they can see him anyway.

It isn’t like Alex has a chronically single problem. Or, maybe it’s just that he doesn’t have a problem _with_ being chronically single. It just is how it is. Alex is busy with work, and he goes to the gym, and he plays hockey twice a week in the evenings, and that’s been enough for him. He doesn’t miss the significant looks his mother and sister exchange sometimes, but Alex is happy enough as he is. A little lonely, maybe, but happy.

He doesn’t think of ‘I love you’ guy again. He takes so many calls in a day that even the unusual ones begin to blur together after a while.

-

“Oh, shit! Hide me!” Brendan ducks and tries to hide his entire body behind PK’s back.

“What the hell, Gally?” PK asked.

“That’s the guy in tech, I accidentally told I loved him! Fuck, hide me, hide me!”

“How do you know?”

“I can recognize his voice. He has an accent, and I’ve played that conversation in my head over and over again—” He pauses to really take in the guy. He is standing a short distance away talking animatedly, hands gesticulating as he talks. He’s tall with broad shoulders, his light brown hair curling lightly, and eyes so blue Brendan notices them all the way across the room. “Oh goddammit,” he curses. “Did he have to be completely hot too? My humiliation is complete.”

PK smiles at him. “I’m gonna go talk to him.”

“What?” Brendan asks, panic coursing through him. “No you’re not. You’re absolutely not going to do that.”

“I am,” PK says. “I’m gonna go say hi. This is a work function to meet people, I’m going to do just that.”

“This is a holiday party,” Brendan hisses. “Not a networking event. Come back here! PK, stop.” PK doesn’t stop. Brendan, who was trailing along behind him while he walked across the room, quickly ducks behind a pillar.

He’s scanning the room looking for the nearest exit, when PK comes back. To Brendan’s embarrassment he’s not alone.

“Hello,” PK says, smiling widely. “Brendan, this is my new friend Alex.” He gestures to tall hot tech guy. “Alex, this is my friend Brendan. He loves you.” Then he flees.

Welp. Brendan was wrong earlier. His humiliation is complete now.

“I’m sorry,” the guy says. He looks adorably confused. “You what?”

“I don’t love you,” Brendan hastens to reassure him. His brow furrowed further. “Not that—I’m sure you’re a completely lovable person! I just—don’t know you.” He pauses. “Fucking shit.”

“Uh,” the guy—Alex—says. “Um, okay.” He looks adorably befuddled. Brendan wants to die.

“I don’t know if you remember me?” he asks. “You probably don’t, but I talked to you like a month ago? And I accidentally said ‘I love you too,’ at the end of the call.” He puts his hand on his forehead, wishing the ground would open up below him and just swallow him whole.

To Brendan’s surprise, Alex laughs. “Oh! That was you? Yeah, I do remember that. It made a good story.”

“You _told people_?” Brendan asks.

Alex shrugs. “Well yeah. It was funny.”

“That’s—great. Just great. Every time I think this can’t get any more embarrassing, I am proven wrong yet again.”

Alex chuckles. Just when Brendan is about to write him off as a completely sadistic jerk reassures Brendan, “Nah, don’t worry about it. It’s not the weirdest thing I’ve heard on the phone by a long shot.”

“Really?” Brendan says. “Like what?”

Alex seems to think for a moment. “A lot of people call when they’re eating,” he says, scrunching up his nose. “And chew in my ear. It’s gross. Lots of stupid questions. Like _a lot_.” He laughs to himself, throwing his head back, and Brendan fights not to stare at his exposed throat.

“So I’m not the dumbest person you’ve ever spoken to?” Brendan asks.

Alex gives him an obvious once over. “I’m not sure I’m willing to go that far,” he says, then laughs again.

“Wow,” Brendan says. “Is that any way to speak to someone who loves you?”

Alex laughs again.

Somehow they spend the rest of the evening talking. Trading stories about their jobs, and ribbing each other. The conversation flows easily from work to outside hobbies, and before Brendan knows it, the party is wrapping up. Brendan usually doesn’t stay the whole time, finding these events dull, but the night flew by while he was talking to Alex.

“Uh,” he says, scratching his neck and looking around as the caterers start packing up. “So, maybe this is—weird, but,” he pauses. “Can I have your number?”

Alex smiles, and Brendan doesn’t think he is imagining the relieved look on his face. “Uh, sure,” he says. “Yeah, that would be good.”

-

The next day is Saturday, and Alex wakes up to a text from Brendan.

 _god are you a morning person_ , he replies while eating his morning cereal.

Brendan texts back a sun and smiling emoji, and Alex thinks he shouldn’t be so stupidly charmed.

They text back and forth with alarming frequency throughout the week. Alex can’t remember the last time he got along so easily and so quickly with someone else. For the most part… Alex doesn’t like people. Maybe customer service wasn’t the best line of business to get into, but he likes computers, and there was a part of him that sometimes worried he would become a complete recluse if he didn’t at least work with other people. So when Brendan texts him on Thursday, _do you want to get together tomorrow?_ Alex only hesitates for a moment.

_like a date?_

Alex doesn’t think he’s reading the situation wrong, but if he is—well. Brendan started out their relationship in a much more embarrassing manner, so. Alex can live with it.

Time seems to drag on forever while he waits for Brendan’s reply to come through. When it does, it’s simply the two boys holding hands emoji. Alex grins.

They go to a bar, and between the two of them put away an insanely large quantity of food.

And beer.

Alex learns more about Brendan’s job in the accounting department. Mostly it sounds completely boring to Alex.

“I don’t love it,” Brendan says with a shrug when Alex tells him so. “But it pays the bills, you know?”

Alex does.

He feels warm, both from the combination of people in the bar, and the copious amounts of alcohol he has consumed. His whole body feels light, and more than a little fuzzy. It makes him brave, reaching out to put his hand on Brendan’s wrist where it is resting on the table.

Alex gets distracted watching as he trails the tip of his index finger along the back of Brendan’s wrist and hand, drawing a line over the bones there and the back of his knuckles. Brendan turns his arm, and Alex runs his fingers up and down the inside of his wrist, the palm of his hand.

He looks up when Brendan sucks in a sharp breath, and his eyes are dark and heated.

“Want to get out of here?” Brendan asks.

Alex does.

They walk through the parking lot at a hurried pace, close enough together that their shoulders and arms keep bumping.

Brendan walks him around to the passenger side of his car, and for a moment Alex thinks he is going to try and open the door for him, but instead he shoves Alex against the side of the car. Hard.

Alex’s breath is knocked out of him, and the air he draws back in to replace it is cold enough to bite at his lungs. Brendan’s breath is hot on his face, though, and he only has half a second to suck in another quick breath before Brendan is pressing his lips to Alex’s, hot and hard and wet.

Alex gasps into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Brendan’s shoulders and slotting his body more firmly against him. Brendan bites at his lips, coaxing Alex to open his mouth, and when he does, he sucks on Alex’s tongue. He feels an answering tug of desire low in his gut, and slides his hands to Brendan’s cheeks, chilly and chapped from the cold.

They kiss like that, pressed up against the side of the car for what feels like forever. Alex is hard and aching in his jeans, and although he can’t feel Brendan through the layers of their coats and clothing, it’s a safe bet to assume that he is as well.

He could go home with Brendan, and then—

A car alarm goes off somewhere on the other side of the parking lot, and Alex jerks back so hard his knees almost collapse below him.

Brendan laughs, but it’s not cruel or unkind. He just sounds breathless and happy. “So,” he says, still smiling. “Should we go?”

Alex hesitates, all of his previous daring draining out of him. He still wants Brendan, wants nothing more than to go home with him, but it just feels fast. Really fast. He hesitates long enough for it to show on his face, because Brendan pulls back further.

“Or not?” he asks. It still doesn’t sound mean, just confused or maybe a little bit sad.

“Uh,” Alex says. Brendan doesn’t look like he’s mad, but Alex is panicking for real now and he just wants to leave and go home. Maybe smother himself with his pillow so he never has to look at another human being again. “Can I—rain check?”

Brendan nods. “Yeah,” he says. “Yeah, of course. I’ll walk you to your car.”

Alex tries to protest, but Brendan won’t hear any of it, walking Alex across the parking lot to his car. When they’re standing at the driver’s side door, he hesitates, and Alex thinks he is going to kiss him again, or hug him maybe. He doesn’t do either of those things, just gives Alex a little wave before making his way back across to his own vehicle.

Alex climbs into the car and turns the key in the ignition. He watches to make sure Brendan gets back to his car safely. He’s talking to himself, making big gestures with his hands but Alex can’t tell what he’s saying.

-

Brendan doesn’t hear from Alex the day after their date. He doesn’t hear from him the second day, or the third one after that.

He’s pretty bummed if he’s being honest. He thought they had a good time together. Alex was sarcastic and rude and funny. They seemed to have good chemistry together. Brendan remembers their kiss for the millionth time and _knows_ they had good chemistry together.

Or maybe it was only on his side?

He did something that caused Alex to bolt. Brendan just wished he knew whatever it was so he could—not do that again. Maybe he’s actually a terrible kisser? Or maybe Alex just plain didn’t like him.

He sighs, staring at his still blank phone.

He goes to the gym, and loses himself in the steady thrum and pull of his muscles working. When he comes out of his shower after there’s a text on his phone waiting for him.

_Hey_

He stares at it. The time stamp came in over an hour ago. “Hey?” he says aloud to himself. “ _Hey_?”

He sighs, and hovers his fingers trying to decide what to type back. _hey. How’re you?_

Alex’s reply comes in not long after, and they text back and forth just as easily as they had the previous week. There’s a feeling of… hesitance, maybe, but Brendan doesn’t know if he’s just projecting or what.

 _wanna hang out later?_ Alex texts him on Friday.

 _yeah_ , Brendan replies. _come over?_

It’s a bit of a risk, but—

_sure_

Brendan’s mom calls while he’s waiting for Alex to arrive.

“How’re you, sweetie?”

“I’m good, mom. Keeping busy.”

She gives him the news from home, updating him on his dad and sisters. What his aunts and uncles and grandparents are up to. She’s halfway through a story about his dad nearly getting into a fight at the grocery store when the door buzzer alerts him that Alex is waiting downstairs.

“Okay, mom, I gotta go,” he says, pressing the button to open the main door. “My date is here.”

“Your date!” she says. “You didn’t tell me you were seeing someone.”

“It’s only the second date, I don’t even know if he likes me yet.”

“I’m sure he does,” she says in her mom voice.

There’s a knock on the door. “Okay, I really gotta go,” he tells her, crossing the room to open it.

“Love you, sweetie!”

“Love you too,” he says. “Bye.”

Alex shrugs off his coat, hanging it on the hooks Brendan has by the door for that purpose. He stomps his feet a couple times on the mat before kicking off his boots and stepping into the hallway. His cheeks are flushed, making the blue of his eyes stand out that much more, and there’s a few snowflakes dotting his hair. Brendan wants to get his hands all over him.

“Who was that?” Alex asks. “The pizza guy?” There’s an amused twist to his lips, and Brendan feels his face heating, remembering their first telephone encounter.

“Ha ha,” he says, choosing to brazen it out. “No, it was my mom.”

“So you don’t tell the pizza guy you love him? What about movie theatre attendants? Salespeople?”

“No,” Brendan says. His face feels hot, but he doesn’t look away from Alex. “Guess you’re just special.”

“Hm,” Alex says, ducking his head a little.

There’s an awkward moment while they settle themselves on the couch. Brendan tosses Alex the remote. “I did order pizza,” he says for lack of anything else. “It should be here soon.”

Alex nods. “That’s good,” he says. “Yeah.”

Brendan curses himself internally for coming on too strong, and they spent twenty awkward minutes watching _Mythbusters_ before the door buzzes again.

“I’m gonna go down and get it,” Brendan says.

During the short elevator ride back up to his apartment, Brendan tries to get himself under control. “Be cool,” he mutters to himself. “Act like you’ve been here before.”

With the pizza to distract them, things aren’t quite so awkward. Alex settles on an action movie, and the television along with the sound of their chewing is the only sound in the room.

Once he’s eaten all he possibly can, Brendan settles back on the couch, perhaps a little closer to Alex than is strictly speaking necessary. Alex puts his own plate on the coffee table a moment later, and slumps back into the pillows, his side pressed up against Brendan’s. Brendan smiles, watching Alex out of the corner of his eye. His cheeks are tinged with pink, and this time not from the cold. Brendan really wants to put his arm around him, touch him some more.

 _Fake it till you make it_ , he thinks, lifting his arm and laying it along the back of the couch.

“Smooth,” Alex mutters, once Brendan is settled again.

Brendan tilts his head back, watching Alex more overtly, and smiles as widely and obnoxiously as he knows how. He ruffles his hand through Alex’s hair roughly at first, finishing off with a squeeze to the back of his neck.

Alex lets out a small squeak.

Brendan grins, delighted. “What was that?” he asks.

Alex is more pink than ever. Brendan lets his hand linger on the back of Alex’s neck, running his fingers through the hair at his nape and scratching lightly. Alex is sitting rigidly at first, but he relaxes into Brendan’s touch, and Brendan can’t deny the swell of pride he feels at that.

Alex slumps down further into the couch, into Brendan’s touch. He runs his fingers through Alex’s hair, pressing his thumb behind Alex’s ear and stroking the skin along the back of his neck. 

“Alex,” Brendan says when he can’t stand it any longer. “Can I—?”

“Oh, thank god,” Alex groans, turning his body into Brendan’s.

Brendan wraps his other arm around Alex’s shoulders, drawing his body on top of Brendan as the bears them down onto the cushions. Alex’s mouth is just as hot against Brendan’s as he remembers, feels just as good. Brendan spreads his legs, letting Alex settle more comfortably into the cradle of his hips, and the two of them groan at the contact. 

Alex trails kisses over Brendan’s jaw and down his neck. Brendan’s hands wander over his shoulders, down his back to settle on his his ass. He squeezes Alex and pulls him somehow tighter against Brendan’s body. 

“God,” Alex pants against Brendan’s skin. “God, fuck.” 

“Yeah,” Brendan agrees. 

They kiss for so long Brendan’s lips feel numb and his jaw is sore. “I want,” he says, bucking his hips up against Alex’s bulk. “Can I? Please.” 

Alex pulls back far enough to get his jeans unbuttoned and pushed down over his hips. Brendan is so distracted staring at the outline of his hard dick in his briefs that he misses Alex grabbing for the waistband of his own pants. The faint pressure of his zipper being undone is enough to have him squirming for more contact, but Alex holds him in place as he frees Brendan’s cock from the confines of his clothes. 

Alex pulls his own cock out, and collapses back down on top of Brendan. The feeling of skin on skin has Brendan groaning. He wraps his fingers around Alex’s wrist, pulling his hand to Brendan’s mouth, and licking wetly over his palm, before sucking two fingers into his mouth. Alex’s jaw drops open in a pant, a beautiful, blissed out look on his face. Brendan works his tongue between Alex’s fingers, imagining it’s Alex’s cock he’s sucking on. He groans when Alex’s fingers hit the back of his throat, can feel the way their bellies are getting slick with precome. 

Alex pulls his hand away, wrapping his slick palm around both their cocks. He groans, pressing his face back into Brendan’s neck, as he works his hips. 

Brendan looks down between their bodies, captivated by the way the head of their cocks poke through the circle of their fingers jacking them off. 

He comes like that, trapped beneath the weight and heat of Alex’s body, watching the two of the move together as Alex mouths at the skin of neck. The hot sticky wetness spreading across their bare stomachs has Alex groaning, his hips moving faster and faster until he comes with a shout. 

They lay together just breathing for a long moment before Alex rolls over, toppling off the couch. He lands with a loud grunt, and Brendan can’t help the burble of laughter that escapes his throat. 

Alex glares up at him from the floor, but as far as harsh looks go, it falls spectacularly short. Brendan forces himself to his feet, reaching out to give Alex a hand. He yanks Alex up until the two of them are standing face to face, their stomachs and hips smeared with drying jizz, and feels happier and more content than he has in a long time. 

“Shower?” he asks. “You can stay the night. If you want?” 

Alex grins, leaning down to brush another kiss over Brendan’s lips. 

“Yeah,” Alex says. The heat in his eyes has Brendan shivering with desire and anticipation. 

“Great,” Brendan says with a smile.

**Epilogue: Two years later**

“Hey babe,” Brendan says, shuffling his bag to his other shoulder as he answers his cell phone. “What’s up?”

“I’m just at the grocery store,” Alex says. “What was that thing you wanted me to pick up? I can’t remember.” 

“Yeah, toothpaste.”

“No, I got that,” Alex says. “The other thing.” 

“There wasn’t another thing,” Brendan says, making his way down the street to the metro. 

“There was!” Alex says. “You asked me to get toothpaste and something else.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You did.” 

Brendan shrugs. “I don’t know what to tell you babe, there wasn’t anything else.” Alex grumbles on the other line. “Listen, I gotta go, I’m about to head into the metro. I’ll see you at home, okay?” 

“Sure,” Alex says. “Just don’t be mad at me when I don’t get the other thing.” 

Brendan laughs. “There _wasn’t_ another thing. God, you’re so annoying.” 

“Love you too,” Alex says.


End file.
